


Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

by charmingoutlaws (twdsunshine)



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16763950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdsunshine/pseuds/charmingoutlaws
Summary: Opie Winston is still reeling from his wife’s death when he meets the reader.  The instant attraction he feels takes him aback, it’s far too soon after all, and he tries to push it down and ignore it, but, when he finds out that she’s battling her own demons he can’t fight the need to protect her.  Thrown together in a safe house as the club track down her evil ex-boyfriend, will Opie give in to his feelings and help the reader find the strength she needs to free herself from her stalker’s hold once and for all?





	Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request from @thoughtsofdarc on Tumblr for some protective, domestic Opie with a little proud Opie moment where he’s admiring his girl being all hot kicking the guys asses at pool… I was going to split it into a two-parter, but honestly, I thought it worked better as a one-shot so it’s just kinda long. Happy reading!

Glistening soapsuds clung to Opie’s hands, forming foamy gloves around his calloused fingers as he reached for another dirty dish and began to scrub at it with a scourer. His height meant that he had to stoop slightly to submerge the crockery in the water, and he felt the nagging ache at the base of his spine that reminded him that he wasn’t as young as he used to be. Glancing out through the kitchen window into the night, his own reflection revealed the dark circles beneath his eyes, his hair hanging around his shoulders without his usual beanie holding it back from his face. He wasn’t old, not really. But his life had been plagued with trauma: too much time spent behind bars, a dead wife and two children who, at one point, had barely recognised him as their father. It had taken its toll. And then there’d been you. **  
**

A crooked smile quirked his lips as he remembered the first time he’d seen you. It had been fleeting, watching as you dashed past on your way down the long, sterile hospital corridor, but his eyes had been glued to you from the moment you rounded the corner to the moment you disappeared. It was an instant attraction that had felt foreign and yet oddly familiar at the same time. It reminded him of the first time he’d met Donna, all flirtatious remarks and bad attitude back then, but he’d never felt that pull towards anyone else. It had scared him and he’d shut it down, attributing it to the heightened emotions of the situation and going far too long without getting any touch. But damn if he hadn’t pictured you as he’d laid awake at night, alone in his bed, and wondered who you were. He wasn’t sure what it was about you, but somehow he knew even then that you’d turn his life upside down.

* * *

_Jax was worried. Opie could tell by the set of his jaw and the short, sharp answers he snapped whenever anybody had tried to speak to him. His thatch of blonde hair was sticking out at all angles, disturbed by his fingers as they ran through it yet again, drumming his feet against the floor as he waited for answers. An accident, that was all Unser had said. Gemma had run her car off the road, and she was fine, but they couldn’t see her just yet, and both the President and the VP were tense as they waited for more news._

_They’d taken over the small waiting room, each of the Sons slumped in a chair, idly scrolling through their phones or flipping through magazines. The air smelt like disinfectant and cheap coffee, and, as Jax eased himself to his feet and paced impatiently out into the corridor, Opie followed, more for something to do than for any real reason. He knew that there was nothing he could say that would help._

_‘You okay, brother?’ he asked, as Jax studied the contents of the vending machine, before deciding there was nothing in there he wanted and slamming his palm against the glass._

_‘Why aren’t they telling us anything?’_

_‘Hey, Tara’s with her, right? If there was something wrong, she’d come and find you.’_

_Jax sighed, bowing his head, arms still braced against the machine as though he might be considering taking another swing at it. Instead though, he moved away, slouching against the wall and pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, flipping it open to count how many were left inside. ‘It’s probably nothing, you know? Just more of Gemma’s drama, but-’_

_‘She’s your mom, man. We get it,’ Opie reassured him. ‘She means a lot to all of us. That’s why we’re here.’_

_It was at that moment that the clicking of heels on the linoleum floor interrupted the conversation and Opie glanced in the direction of the sound, finding himself unexpectedly transfixed by the woman who walked towards him. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was: the intelligence behind her eyes maybe, or the look of pure determination on her face; or perhaps the swing of her hips as she passed by, and the way she drummed her clipboard against her hip as she moved, belying her confident stride and revealing something deeper going on beneath the surface - uncertainty, perhaps, or worry. Her white coat was wrinkled across the back, the sure sign of a long shift, he thought, and something inside of him yearned to take her out of here, let her hop on the back of his bike and whisk her off home to where she could rest and be comfortable. It was a strange impulse to have in regards to a stranger, and his brow creased in confusion as he tried to understand it, but then she was disappearing from view, pushing her way into one of the rooms that led off of the corridor, and his attention was dragged back to Jax by an amused chuckle._

_‘Or maybe you’re here for the hot doctors,’ his friend observed, quirking an eyebrow at him as he clapped a hand on his shoulder. ‘Good to know my mother’s accident is doing wonders for your libido.’_

_Opie fixed him with a stern glare. ‘Stop.’_

_‘Hey, brother, it’s been a while, right? Maybe it’s time for you to move on.’_

_‘I don’t even know her.’_

_‘Don’t need to know her when she’s got a face like that. I wasn’t saying you should marry the girl, Ope. Just have a little fun. Hell, we could all use a little downtime if you ask me.’_

_The relief he felt when Tara finally appeared wasn’t only down to her confirmation that Gemma was in fact completely fine. Bruised and bloodied, the matriarch hadn’t suffered any damage that wouldn’t heal on its own, and the atmosphere lifted as Clay strode past them to pay his wife a visit. Opie had hoped the good news might have distracted Jax away from his current train of thought, but he should have known better, and when Jax caught his old lady around the waist and pulled her into his side, he shot Opie a teasing look._

_‘Babe, you got a new doctor working here we don’t know about?’_

_‘Several,’ Tara replied, confused. ‘Why? Since when are you monitoring the staffing at St. Thomas?’_

_‘Since Ope’s got eyes for the new girl. ‘Bout this tall,’ Jax continued, gesturing with his hand, ‘cute face, white coat, fidgety as hell.’_

_‘Oh, you mean Y/N,’ Tara realised, recognising the description with ease. ‘Yeah, she joined us last month, I think. We haven’t really had a chance to talk much yet but from what I hear she’s nice enough.’ She cocked her head to one side as she regarded Opie, who was avoiding her gaze and staring at the ground. ‘You really interested? I can do a little digging if you want-’_

_‘No.’ He shut her down immediately, not giving much thought to the choice. He didn’t need another old lady right now. He was still reeling from losing the last one. ‘No, I’m good, thanks.’_

_‘Okay, if you’re sure.’ Tara’s smile was kind, and Opie knew she understood the conflict that was raging within him, even if Jax was brushing it off, determined to get his brother laid._

_‘C’mon, man, I’m telling you, let Tara hook it up. These doctor chicks, they’re good with their hands…’ He tailed off as his girlfriend elbowed him in the ribs before glancing back to Opie and finally noticing the stormclouds gathering in his eyes. ‘Alright, I’m dropping it. Sorry.’_

* * *

Jax had noticed. Of course, Jax had noticed. The club were his brothers, each and every one of them, but he and Jax had grown up together. Still, he’d dropped it as requested and it seemed to be forgotten about, brushed under the rug. Your name came up in conversation occasionally, your blossoming friendship with Tara bringing you closer to the club than Ope was really comfortable with, but as long as you weren’t parading yourself around at parties or tagging along to family dinners, he could ignore it, forget about you. Or at least he could pretend.

He could still see the panicked look in Tara’s eyes when she’d cornered Jax in the clubhouse one evening, dragging him from the party, her pretty face creased with a frown. Jax had beckoned for him to follow and he had. Of course, he had. That’s how he’d gotten dragged into the whole mess. Into your mess. And that’s how he’d finally gotten to know you. That almost made it all worth it.

* * *

_‘What is it, babe?’ Jax slumped onto the bed in the apartment that had been his home for the months before Wendy’s overdose, staring up at his old lady as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands together. Opie kept his distance, leaning back against the closed door, wondering why it was that he was even there. If they were about to get into a domestic, he wanted to be able to make a speedy exit._

_'It’s Y/N,’ Tara said, finally. 'I think she’s in trouble.’_

_That had Opie’s attention and he stepped forward, stilling her with a heavy hand on her shoulder and turning her to face him. 'What kind of trouble?’_

_Tara took a deep breath, before launching in and Opie found himself biting his tongue to hold back the questions that he knew she would answer eventually if he let her go on uninterrupted. 'She’s been acting weird, kinda jumpy, nervous. Like she’s always looking over her shoulder. I mean, she’s always been a little like that, y'know, so at first I didn’t really think much of it, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realised how much she reminded me of myself, back when I first came home. I was terrified, always expecting Kohn to be lurking round the next corner. It was…’ She paused, shuddering as she remembered the ordeal. 'Anyway, then these deliveries started arriving for her. Chocolates, lingerie, and flowers - God, so many flowers. You should have seen her, guys. I mean, she totally wigged every time she got called down to reception for another package.’_

_'Did you talk to her about it?’ Jax prompted and she nodded._

_'Uh huh, yeah, I did.’ She cast an anxious glance towards Opie, reading his reaction as she blurted out the reality of what was going on. 'Turns out she has this ex who won’t leave her alone. I think she was holding back, but it sounds like things got pretty nasty before she moved away, and now she’s pretty sure he’s followed her here. She says things have moved in her house when she gets home most days.’_

_'She been to the cops?’_

_'No. She’s been trying to convince herself that she’s just going crazy, that it’s all in her head.’_

_'Well, we both know these things happen.’_

_Tara nodded. 'So, what do we do?’_

_'Well, first we gotta get her the hell out of here while we figure things out,’ Jax told her. ‘Freak might take off if she disappears for a while. We’ll give the guy’s details to Juice, have him run him through the system, see what dirt he can dig up. In the meantime, we’ve got a safe house we can use the other side of Lodi. I’ll make some calls. T.O. owes me a favour.’_

_Opie had been silent throughout the exchange, trying to match Tara’s story to the woman he’d seen at the hospital that day. It added up, he knew it did. The constant drumming of the clipboard… Antsy movements. He’d registered it but not really thought about what it could mean. When he finally spoke, both Jax and Tara turned wide eyes on him and he knew his decision would change everything. 'I’ll watch her. She’ll need someone to stay with her, keep an eye on things. I’ll do it.’_

* * *

Why the hell had he done that? It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough on his plate. Mary was forever on his back to spend more time with the kids and, since Donna’s death, he’d thrown himself whole-heartedly back into the club, volunteering for every run, no matter how dark or bloody. Protecting some little doctor who’d found herself falling for the wrong guy wasn’t the sort of thing that should be dominating his time. And yet… God, Opie just couldn’t shake the image of her from his mind. Something about her suggested an innocence and vulnerability that he felt duty-bound to protect and so it was decided.

He shook his head now, his smile shifting into a smirk. Less than a week later he’d been playing house-husband. And it had been easy. Way too damn easy. But God, he’d have carried on the charade forever if he could.

* * *

_The lawnmower shuddered to a halt as Opie let his hands fall from the cracked plastic, turning to survey the results of his morning’s labour. The safe house had been in a pretty poor state when he’d pulled up with Y/N in tow, staring listlessly out of the window of his truck. The grass had been unkempt, the borders overgrown with weeds, and inside hadn’t been much better. But over the past few days they’d worked together, side by side, to make it more habitable, and this was the final task. He nodded to himself as he wheeled the machine back towards the small shed in the rear corner, before sticking his head in through the back door._

_'Hey, come check this out!’_

_He heard the pad of Y/N’s footsteps as she followed his voice to the kitchen, emerging into the sunshine moments later, barefoot in cut-offs and a tank top. 'Wow, it looks great out here.’_

_'Ready for summer barbecues with the neighbours,’ Opie joked, feeling rewarded by the smile that quirked her lips. 'You about done in there?’_

_Y/N had been making lunch while he worked and now she nodded. 'Yep. I’ll bring it out. We can sit and admire the view.’_

_It wasn’t much of a view. Three high wooden fences with a small square of now freshly cut grass and a couple of borders, left mostly bare once he’d pulled up the weeds, but he knew she was looking for distractions so he responded enthusiastically, folding his body to the ground so he could tuck into the sandwich she handed to him with relish._

_They’d fallen into an easy routine, rubbing along together like old friends, despite being strangers. She was quiet, Opie found, preferring to read than watch television, and he loved to watch the emotions cross her face as she devoured the stories. They ate together each evening as the sun set, taking it in turns to cook, and then they’d often sit on the couch with a couple of beers and talk. She didn’t talk about her ex and Opie didn’t press the issue, but she did talk about her work, her friends and family, and the town where she’d grown up. Opie thought he could listen to her talk forever, but all too soon she’d be tailing off and looking to him to share. So he did, telling her about the shit he, Jax and Tara used to get up to back in high school and the less-criminal aspects of life with the MC. It felt freeing to be able to talk to somebody without judgement and he was certain it was better than the therapy that his mother was accustomed to telling him he needed._

_As time went on, the distance between them on the couch had lessened, inch by inch, and eventually those evenings would be spent with her tucked into his side, his arm slung around her shoulders, and as she gazed up at him, pretty eyes crinkled at the edges with amusement as he described a particularly gruesome task he’d been given as prospect, he found himself thinking how easy it would be to duck his head and kiss her._

* * *

It had been so natural to get close to you. He knew if Clay found out he’d have pulled him off the job quick as hell, and Tig or Chibs would have stepped in to fill the space he left, and the thought made his stomach knot. It wasn’t so much that he thought they’d take advantage. They liked the ladies, sure, especially Tig, but no meant no and that was a boundary they didn’t cross. But you were so fragile, and he worried that their brash ways would only send you further into the shell that he’d found himself chipping away at.

At times, Opie had wondered if it had just been him, whether the connection was all in his head. Until that night. God, it was still one of the best nights of his life and he knew he’d never forget it. He just hadn’t seen it coming. But then you’d never stopped surprising him after that.

* * *

_The click of his door opening woke Opie instantly, and he sat up, reaching for the gun on his nightstand, running on pure instinct until his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and he picked Y/N’s figure out in the shadows as she watched him from the doorway. Laying his sidearm back down, a sigh of relief leaving him, he ran a hand through his tangled mane of hair._

_'You alright? You scared the shit out of me.’_

_She didn’t speak, and for a moment that feeling of panic returned, but then she was crossing the room in fewer strides than should have been possible, he was sure, and crawling up the bed towards him, eyes wild with want. She didn’t give him time to react as she straddled him, pinning his body beneath the covers, nails biting in to his shoulders as she gripped him tightly, before her lips captured his in a scorching kiss._

_The taste of her was intoxicating, the softness of her mouth, the scrape of her teeth… He wanted to sink in to her and never let her go, and as he cupped her face to hold her to him, he rolled her so that he was in control. She writhed beneath him as he gave her what she needed, what she’d come searching for, acquainting himself with every curve, every dip and smooth plane of skin, every hidden part of her, until she was a quivering mess, communicating only in whimpers as he brought her to the edge again and again._

_'Please.’ It was the first distinguishable word that she’d spoken in what seemed like hours as clothes were discarded and marks were imprinted, deep purple bruises and scratches that would last for days._

_And Opie did as she asked, unable to stand the desperation in her tone, sinking in to her and stilling as he let the waves of pleasure crash over him. God, it had been too damn long since he’d let himself enjoy a woman and this one… She was perfect. Every inch of his body was straining at him to move but still he hesitated, hovering over her, eyes locking as they drank each other in. And then she whispered again, 'Please’, and he unleashed the onslaught, all of his pent-up grief and fear and anger and pure delicious lust pouring out of him as he drove them towards the precipice._

_They tumbled over together, muscles contracting, moans erupting from places deep within them as they clung to each other, afraid to let go in case reality should set back in too quickly._

_Afterwards he held her to him, burying his face in her hair as though just the scent of her could keep him in this bubble for a little while longer. What surprised him the most was that, when he woke the following morning, he still had that satisfying feeling that everything would be okay._

* * *

It had been perfect. Too perfect. He should have known it wouldn’t last. When you ran with the MC, trouble was never far away and their hiding place couldn’t stay safe forever. He could still feel the icy fear that had gripped his heart, that terrifying realisation that he might be about to lose another woman he cared about. One of his biggest regrets with his wife had been that he was sure that she never knew how much he loved her, and in the split second it took for him to react, as time slowed down and his heart pounded in his chest, he realised that he wanted you to know what you meant to him, needed you to know. He couldn’t lose you before he had the chance to tell you.

He could still hear the gunshot. The sound threaded itself through his nightmares, weaving into his subconscious and sneaking up on him when he least expected it. _Bang_. It could all have gone so differently, had he done something faster, smarter. He could have saved you from that pain.

* * *

_‘I know, Ope. We’re doing everything we can, man, but we’ve got ATF up our asses. It’s slowing things down but we’re getting close.’_

_‘Close isn’t good enough, Jax. It’s been weeks.’ Opie’s frustration was evident in his tone and he knew it wasn’t fair. The club were doing the best they could, while keeping the Feds off their tail and handling their other business. It wasn’t that he was desperate to get out of there. On the contrary, the past few days had been spent in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets and Opie thought he might never actually get enough of her. But he wanted to be able to claim her in his own bed, or hers - he wasn’t fussy. He wanted to know she was choosing to be with him rather than stuck with him with nowhere else to run. He ran a hand through his hair as he wandered back into the kitchen, barely paying to his surroundings, before movement by the back door grabbed his attention, drawing a choked gasp from his throat. Oh, shit.’_

_His eyes fell on Y/N, clasped to the broad chest of a stocky man with a malicious sneer painted over his rounded face. He was shorter than Opie, but muscled, and his meaty fingers were wrapped around Y/N’s throat while the other hand held a gun to her head._

_‘What? Ope? What is it?’ Jax’s voice was still coming down the line, tinny as it spilled from the speaker of the cheap, plastic prepay._

_‘He’s here,’ were the last words Opie said before the phone clattered to the floor. ‘Let her go.’_

_‘Brandon, please,’ Y/N pleaded. ‘Don’t do this.’_

_Brandon’s smile only grew as he took in the horror on Opie’s face. ‘Really, Y/N? You ditched me for this guy?’_

_‘No, no, it’s not like-’_

_‘Stop lying!’ he roared. ‘You thought you could do better and you ended up with this biker scum! I know these guys, Y/N! They’re criminals and murderers and you let him put his hands on you? You’re disgusting!’_

_Something shifted in Y/N’s demeanour then. Her shoulders squared and the fear filtered from her eyes to be replaced by something else, a strength that almost brought Opie to his knees. ‘He’s worth ten of you. You’re a pig, Brandon.’_

_Her ex’s grip tightened around her throat and Opie took a step forwards, halting in his tracks when Brandon adjusted his grip on the gun. ‘This was your last chance, baby. I was gonna take you back, take you home with me. But you still can’t see it, can you? You still can’t see what a good thing we had!’_

_‘I hate you,’ she spat and Opie found himself torn between wanting to cheer for her and wanting to snarl at her to shut up, not to antagonise him further._

_‘Fine, if that’s how you want to be, then just remember, this is your decision.’ Brandon had regained control of his temper now, and his voice was low and dangerous. ‘You told me once that you’d rather die than be with me. I thought a little space might make you realise what a stupid choice that was, but evidently you’re too fucking dumb to recognise your own mistakes. You did this, Y/N. This is all on you.’_

_His finger twitched, clicking the safety off on his weapon and Opie’s breath caught in his throat. Donna had been shot, pumped full of bullets from behind as she sat at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green. She’d been alone, bleeding, and Opie often wondered what she’d been thinking about before she slipped away. He wondered if she knew just how much she’d changed his life for the better, how he’d have crumbled so many times without her, how his ties to the club were only strengthened by his desire to give her the life she deserved. And now, he was facing Y/N, a woman he’d only known for such a short time, and wondering if she knew that she’d brought him back to life. He had to tell her. He had to get her out of this. Somehow._

_It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Y/N’s elbow drove into Brandon’s ribs and, as a pained grunt escaped him, Opie launched himself forward, prepared to take advantage of the moment of weakness. Except he was a big guy and he recovered quickly, bringing the gun up and taking aim at Opie as he closed the space between them. But Y/N wasn’t done yet, throwing all of her weight on his arm and dragging it down, his elbow cracking under the pressure as the gun fell from his grasp and slid across the floor. His hand was wrapping in her hair and yanking her off of him, flinging her down on the hard tiles as Opie drew back his fist and prepared to beat him down. And then the gunshot rang out and Brandon dropped._

_Not long after that, the sound of engines rumbled down the quiet street. Opie was still sitting on the kitchen floor, Y/N cradled in his arms as she wept, the adrenaline ebbing from her body and leaving her feeling exhausted and desolate with shock and guilt and a million other things that she’d never be able to put into words. But she’d done it. She’s taken down her tormentor, ended him in a bid to save the both of them, and in the long run he hoped that she’d be stronger for it, though he knew it would take a long time for her to get there. One thing was for sure, he was going to be there to help her through it. He was too far gone to walk away now._

* * *

Taking a life was something Opie had experience with. He knew the cost. He knew how their face could haunt you if you left yourself open to it. And yet, you didn’t let the strain show. Without the fear of your ex trailing behind you like a dark shadow, a brand new girl emerged. You were still sweet, funny, but you were confident now, especially when you knew he was nearby. You never really had the talk about whether or not you were his old lady. It hadn’t seemed necessary. When you moved your things out of the safe house they just automatically got unpacked at his place. His bed became yours, his family stitching back together with a female presence in the house. You were good with the kids, describing the gory scenarios you’d encountered at work with Kenny, who lapped it all up in the way young boys do, and spending hours with Ellie, braiding her hair and helping with her homework. You fit. The missing piece. Like you were meant to be there.

You fit in with the club too, and Opie had felt pride swelling in his chest as he watched his brothers accept you into the fold. Your sharp wit was a fair match for any of them and they soon learned that you could hold your own. It hadn’t been like that with Donna. Once the kids were born she’d wanted nothing to do with the club and getting himself locked up had only exacerbated the situation. It had become a source of tension, and slowly they’d begun to pull away from each other, but you… Well, you belonged here.

* * *

_‘What? Again?’ Juice was frowning at Y/N as she leaned on her pool cue and quirked an eyebrow at him, wiggling her hips in a victory dance as his bottom lip jutted out in a pout. ‘How is that even possible?’_

_‘You ready to admit defeat, Juicy?’ she teased, laughing when he threw his own cue down onto the felt and stalked off towards the bar._

_His position was quickly taken up by Chibs who winked at Opie’s old lady as she began to rack the balls up for another game. ‘Reckon ye can handle someone with a little more experience, love?’_

_‘Bring it on.’_

_Opie was perched on a bar stool a few metres away from where the game was taking place, observing from a distance as his girl whooped the asses of the other members, who seemed to underestimate her at every turn. He tossed another peanut into his mouth, grinning as he chewed, unable to tear his eyes away from her cocky stance as she waited for the Scot to line up his shot. Only a large hand landing on his shoulder dragged his attention away from the game, and he glanced up to see Jax watching him with a wry smile on his face. ‘Got yourself a good one there, man.’_

_‘Tell me about it,’ Ope agreed, chuckling as Chibs’ ball bounced off of the edge of the table and went wide, and Y/N crowed with laughter, stealing a sip of her opponent’s beer before skipping around the table to take her turn. ‘She’s a damn badass.’_

_‘Can’t argue with that.’ Jax motioned to the prospect behind the bar to bring him a drink, before turning back to the game, leaning his elbows on the sticky wood as Chibs let out a disbelieving shout._

_‘There’s no way ye just potted three bloody balls with one shot! How is that- Ope, ye need to come sort ya woman out!’_

_Opie shook his head, raising his drink in a silent show of empathy for his friend._

_‘How’s that going?’ Jax asked, though Opie knew the proud look on his face probably said it all._

_‘Good.’_

_‘Yeah? You reckon you’ll keep her around a while?’_

_‘Maybe.’ Another shout from the table announced Y/N’s inevitable victory and Opie set down the bowl in his hand, easing himself upright and casting Jax a crooked smile. ‘I’ll catch you tomorrow, brother.’_

_Y/N had seen his approach and downed her instrument of torture to wrap her arms around his neck, her lips quirking against his as he bent to kiss her. ‘Did you see me kick his ass, baby?’_

_‘Sure did.’ His mouth was still level with hers, and he brushed a soft trail up to her ear, his beard scratching at her skin and eliciting a breathy gasp from her throat. ‘It was hot as hell. I think I gotta take you home now.’_

_He knew she wouldn’t argue and, when he hoisted her up and threw her over his shoulder, she only cackled with laughter and kicked her legs. They left the clubhouse to a chorus of catcalls and jeers, but Opie honestly couldn’t care less. His brothers were jealous and he couldn’t blame them._

* * *

Warm arms snaked around Opie’s waist, tearing him from his memories as nails scratched over the firm expanse of his stomach through his shirt.

'You’re taking your time with that. Need some help?’

Setting the last plate down to drain, Opie wiped his hands on the towel that lay beside the sink and turned to gaze down at you, his expression softening as he drank you in. 'Nah, I’m done. Just thinking, that’s all.’

'About what?’ 

'You. Everything we’ve been through.’ He ducked his head to kiss you, smiling against your lips when your fingers crept up to tangle in his hair, hungry for more. 'I love you, you know that, right?’

'I know,’ you reassured him. 'I love you, too.’

‘And you’re happy here?’ 

He asked you that sometimes, though you’d never understand why. How could you not be happy? You had him, your protector, your gentle giant that had watched over you and helped you find the strength to save yourself. He’d taken you into his home, shared his secrets with you, welcomed you in to his family. You were the luckiest girl in the world. 'You make me happier than I’ve ever been.’

The grin your response earnt you made your heartbeat falter and you tugged gently on his locks so you could push yourself up on tiptoes and steal another kiss. 

'Jax and Tara gone?’

'Yeah, they had to get back so Gemma could head home.’

'Good.’ An unmistakable sparkle appeared in his eyes and you felt yourself grow warm as the atmosphere in the room shifted. 'So, what do you say we get an early night, huh? Make the most of the old man having the kids?’

Your answer was a loud squeal as he bent and threw you over his shoulder, his hand landing with a loud thwack on your ass as he chuckled to himself, already striding towards the bedroom.

'But the dishes,’ you protested weakly, noticing them still waiting to be dried and put away as Opie stretched out an arm to switch off the light.

'They can wait 'til morning.’


End file.
